Night & Light make right 

UNITY (March 4): Photographs by Unity College students Jake Harr and Clayton Kern will be displayed through March 31 in an exhibit titled "Night & Light" in the Centre Gallery at the Unity Centre for the Performing Arts.

 
Clayton Kern, left, and Jake Harr (Photo by Tina Shute)

Harr has been creating photographic images since he was 6 years old. The full-time college student also works on various personal photography projects, from capturing a typical nature scene to visually representing human ecology. Harr is completing an internship in photojournalism with WoodenBoat Magazine of Brooklin.

 
'Intrusion' is the debut image for Harr's 'Framing Nature' series. It's an example of places that 'once were' or are 'now forgotten.' Taken in Unity through the vandalized window of the 'once were' Unity marina. (Photo by Jake Harr) 

 
'Decaying Diner' Captured in spring 2007, this diner was left to decay in natural elements. It's another 'once were, now forgotten' image. 'It was recorded between intermittent precipitation under an overcast sky,' says Harr. 'It captures the true saturation of the dismal sight.' (Photo by Jake Harr) 
 

''Sweeping Light,' on the Unity College campus, is a prime example of how a precise combination of elements can come together to form a surprisingly striking image of a generally drab scene,' says Harr. Natural moonlight was used to illuminate the sky. (Photo by Jake Harr)

For the exhibit, Harr hand-selected an arrangement of images that represent a wide gamut of unique, dimly lit scenes. The most important factor in this body of work is the Plasticine nature of capturing images in low light.

 
'Billowing Dilution' 'In Maine, paper mills are such a commonplace image, many of us do not think twice at the sight of this scene,' says Harr. 'In a bizarrely beautiful way, this image frames America's worst, yet least-publicized, greenhouse gas in the act.' (Photo by Jake Harr)

''Banded Horizons' captures a ubiquitously trite photographic subject,' says Harr, 'but the combination of colors, time of day, and overall tone is captivatingly tranquil.' (Photo by Jake Harr)

 
'The Midnight Train,' was taken in Thorndike on an abandoned commuter train, says Harr. 'A careful blend of artificial light and natural light from the full moon capture the obscure nature of the scene. This is for a series working titled, 'Framing Nature.' The body of work, while unrelated to photographer John Pfahl's series of 'Picture Window' images, does have similarities.' (Photo by Jake Harr)

Kern, a fourth-year Unity College environmental biology student, has been snapping nature photographs since he was a child and got his first $5 plastic camera for Christmas. Kern, originally from Pennsylvania, will move to California after graduation. He plans to be a marine science instructor at the Catalina Island Marine Institute.

 
'Chimney Pond,' says Kern, 'has always amazed me. It's like God put it there as the perfect resting and relaxation place, before the Real climb. I can always picture Pamola sitting in the middle of the pond scrubbing his back, with a tree, from Leroy Dudley's book. In this photo, I wanted to capture the magnificence of Katahdin peak, with the quaintness of Chimney Pond.' (Photo by Clayton Kern)

Kern's love for nature and the natural world can clearly be observed in his awe-inspiring presentations of picturesque nature perspectives.

 
'The Brilliance of a Fall Day' presented itself late in the day as I was hiking through the Unity College woodlot. The brilliance of the falling sun through the fall foliage was absolutely striking, and the long-stretched shadows, perfect.' (Photo by Clayton Kern)

The gallery at 42 Depot St. is open when there are performances or other functions taking place in the building or by appointment by calling 568-3147 or 948-7469. Visit unitymaine.org for performance schedules and other information.

 
Of 'Pemaquid Point Lighthouse,' Kern says, 'I wanted to get a composition combining the beauty of an old lighthouse with the power, and raw environment of the Maine coast. This was the result. The teenagers on the rock stood there for a good 10 minutes mesmerized by the power of the crashing waves, until a large rogue wave came and splashed them. Unfortunately I wasn't ready at the time!' (Photo by Clayton Kern)

All of the photos in the exhibit are for sale via a silent auction system, which will remain open until the closing reception at 7 p.m. Friday, March 28, at UCPA.